Combined ski boot press and carrying case



Feb. 13, 1968 H. A. PURDY COMBINED SKI BOOT PRESS AND CARRYING CASE 2 Sheets -Sheet 1- Filed Jan. 27, 1965 9 INVENTOR. .Hward A. PaTQSy Feb. 13, 1968 H. A. PURDY COMBINED SKI BOOT PRESS AND CARRYING CASE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 27, 1965 m m m .w.

jibwczrci H. Parafy I BY I ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,368,655 COMBINED SKI BOOT PRESS AND CARRYING CASE Howard A. Purdy, 1800 Bayview Road, Hamburg, N.Y. 14075 Filed Jan. 27, 1965, Ser. No. 428,461 '10 Claims. (Cl. 190-51) The present invention relates to a combined ski boot press and carrying case.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a combined ski boot press and carrying case wherein a hood covers a pair of ski boots mounted in side-:by-side relationship on a platform and permits the boots to be conveniently carried and set down in an upright position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a combined ski boot press and carrying case wherein a hood not only covers the boots and thus protects them, but also permits ventilation of the boots mounted therein both while they are drying and when they are being stored with the hood covering the boots.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a combined ski boot press and carrying case wherein a hood which overlies the boots mounted on a platform includes a concealed compartment conveniently overlying the toes of the boots for carrying ski accessories.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a ski boot press having a unique clamping arrangement which permits a single clamp to securely clamp one end of each of a pair of boots, each of which is of a different length. Other objects and attendant advantages of the present invention will readily be perceived hereafter.

The present invention relates to an improved combined ski boot press and carrying case comprising a rigid platform of sufiicient width to receive a pair of ski boots in side-by-side relationship, first clamping means for securing the heels of the boots to said platform, second clamping means for securing the toes of said boots to said platform, a hood for covering said boots, fastening means for detachably securing said hood to said platform in overlying relationship relative to boots mounted thereon, ventilation means for permitting circulation of air within said hood when said hood is secured to said platform, a handle mounted on said hood in opposition to said platform to thereby permit said boots to be carried in an upright position, a compartment in said hood' overlying the top of said ski boots for receiving skiing accessories, and means for securing ski poles to said case. In addition the present invention includes a unique arr-an g ment for securing the boots to the platform in an extremely simple manner. The present invention will be more fully understood when the following portions of the specification are read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the combined ski boot press and carrying case of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view showing the hood portion partially detached from the platform;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the manner in which the toe and heel clamps are aligned and the manner in which the toe clamps are mounted on the platform;

FIGURE 4 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a view taken substantially along line 55 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 6 is a view showing the accessory compartment and taken substantially along line 6-6 of FIG- URE 4.

The combined ski boot press and carrying case 10 of v 3,368,655 Patented Feb. 13, 1968 the present invention includes a platform 11 consisting of a wooden board 12 covered by a sheet of plastic or the like 13 which is suitably folded around the edges and tacked to the underside as at 14. Alternatively the platform 11 may be fabricated from sheet metal which has been suitably formed to enhance its rigidity.

A heel clamp 14 is secured at one end of platform 11 and includes an angle shaped bracket 15 having apertures therein which loosely receive the stems 16 (FIG. 3) of bolts 17. Wing nuts 18 are mounted on stems 16. As can be seen from FIGURE 4, the heel of each ski boot 22 is located under horizontal portion 21 and wing nuts are tightened to firmly clamp the heels of boots 22 to platform 11, the rounded rear ends 23 of boots 22 fitting within concave cut-outs 25.

The boots 22 are placed in side-by-side relationship and the toes are clamped to platform 11 by toe clamp 26 consisting of angle bracket 27 having a centrally located aperture therein (not numbered) which loosely receives the stem 28 (FIG. 3) of bolt 29 extending upwardly through platform 11. Wing nut 30 is mounted on stem 28. Toe clamp 26 can pivot on stem 28 and therefore if there is any variation in the length of each of the ski boots, the portions of the bracket 27 on opposite sides of stem 28 will automatically grasp them properly. The rounded toes of the ski boots are accommodated by concave cut-outs 26 in bracket 27.

A piece of rubber tubing 31 is mounted on stem 28 and is located between the horizontal upper portion of angle 27 and the top 2.0 of platform 11. A piece of rubber tubing 19 is mounted on each stem 16 and is positioned between the upper surface 20 of platform 11 and the horizontal arm 21 of angle 15. Thus, by tightening of the various wing nuts until the rubber tubing is placed in compression, the brackets may be held firmly against movement when shoes are not mounted on the platform. Further in the event the soles of the shoes are of less thickness than the length of the tubing, the latter can compress when the wing nuts 18 and 30 are tightened to clamp the soles of the shoes.

Toe clamp 26 may be moved back and forth along platform 14 to accommodate ski boots of different lengths by virtue of the fact that the stem 28 of bolt 29 is located within slot 32 in platform 11. It can readily be appreciated that if toe clamp 26 is moved as an entirety toward heel clamp 14, it will accommodate shorter ski boots and as it is moved away from it, it will accommodate longer ski boots.

It will be appreciated that wet ski boots can be conveniently clamped onto platform 11 in the foregoing manner for drying, and as will appear hereafter can be conveniently carried and stored.

A hood 33 which is fabricated from a suitable flexible plastic sheet material is provided. This hood consists of a pair of side panels 34 which are stitched to panel 35 forming the top 36 and ends 37 of the hood. One end panel 37 (FIG. 4) has its lower portion 38 suitably secured to the undersurface 39' of platform 11, as by tacks or staples, so that the hood as an entirety can assume a position such a-s'shown in FIG. 2 wherein it permits the shoes to be exposed, but is not detached from platform 12.

The lower edges of side panels 34 and end 37 adjacent toe clamp 26 have snap fastener members 38 mounted thereon which mate with members 39 secured to the edges of the platform so that when the fasteners 38 and 39 are snapped together the combined ski press and carrying case assumes the condition shown in FIG- URES 1 and 4. The use of fasteners 38 and 39 leaves a bit of a ventilation space between the lower edge of hood 33 and the sides of platform 11 to thereby permit air to pass up into the space within hood 33. Air also passes through slot 32. If desired, additional apertures may be provided in hood 33 in any location thereof for the purpose of further enhancing the circulation of air within the hood. In this respect, eyelets can be suitably located in the sides and top of the hood. It will be appreciated that circulation is desirable under a plurality of circumstances, namely, right after wet boots have been mounted within the case as the circulation enhances the drying of such boots. Further in the event that dry boots are stored within case in its closed position the circulation of air through the various openings, including eyelets which may be provided, Will prevent deterioration of the leather. It will also be appreciated that a plurality of apertures (not shown) may be provided in platform 11, and these will serve the dual purpose of providing ventilation and drainage for wet boots.

At this juncture it is to be noted that, if desired, slot 32 in platform 11 may receive a hook or the like to permit the platform to be hung on the wall and in such circumstances if the hood 33 is unsnapped it will merely drop downwardly below the platform but will still remain secured thereto by virtue of the fact that end 38 is secured to the underside of the platform, as described above.

To facilitate the carrying of the combined ski boot press and carrying case 10, a handle 4% has its opposite ends secured to upper surface 36 of hood 33 by suitable fasteners 41 which extend through the top 36 and through metal plate 42 which extends across the entire width of top 36 and thus provide reinforcement. It is to be noted from FIGURE 4 that handle 40 is located off-center with respect to upper surface 36 so that it tends to be along the line on the center of gravity to permit the case to assume an upright position and thus cause it to be carried easily. It is also to be noted that since the handle 40 is mounted in opposition to platform 11 the latter may be set down firmly on the ground by merely lowering the case without requiring that the case be rotated.

A concealed accessory compartment 43 is provided within the hood 33. Access to this compartment may be had through slide fastener 43 located substantially at the juncture of upper surface 36 and end surface 37. It is to be noted that compartment 43 includes a pair of side panels 44 and an end panel 45 and that the compartment 43 may shift around because of the fact that side panels 44 are secured to the remainder of the hood only at seams 46. Compartment 43 is utilized for carrying the accessories, such as socks, sun glasses and the like, in a convenient manner, and, it is to be noted that it does not protrude beyond the confines of the outer surface of the hood and is very conveniently located above the toes of the ski boots 22, thereby utilizing space which would otherwise be Wasted. Because the compartment does not protrude it is protected against snagging and the contents such as sunglasses are protected against breakage.

It is to be noted that the boot laces need not be laced into boots 22 or in any other way tied around or inserted into the boots during carrying but may lie freely in space 46 between the insteps of the boots and end 45 of compartment 43. It will readily be appreciated that if the boots were laced or if the laces were stuffed into the boots, drying of the boots would be impeded whereas if they lie loosely in space 46, drying will be enhanced especially considering the fact that provisions are made for permitting circulation of air Within hood 33.

The improved ski boot press and carrying case of the present invention also includes a pair of straps 47 for use in securing ski poles 48' to case 10 to thereby enhance the ease with which the ski poles can be carried. The straps 47 have their lower ends stitched to panel 34 at 48 and have a plurality of snaps 49 mounted at the 0pposite ends for selective mating engagement with snap portion 50. By virtue of the spacing of snap 49, different sizes of poles 48' may be accommodated. The straps 47 may be placed in any other suitable location such as the undersurfaice 39 of platform 11, if desired.

While a handle 40 has been shown extending across the top of the case, it will be appreciated that a shoulder strap may be utilized in lieu thereof. In this respect rings or the like may be suitably secured to opposite ends 37 of the hood near top 36 and an adjustable strap can be threaded therethrough thereby providing the carrying case with an adjustable strap which is long enough to function as a shoulder strap, or can function as a handle when it is shortened.

Thus it can be seen that a combined ski boot press and carrying case has been provided which permits ski boots to be pressed, transported, and stored in an extremely simple and convenient manner.

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed it will be readily appreciated that it is not limited thereto but may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A combined ski boot press and carrying case comprising a rigid platform of sufficient width to receive a pair of ski boots in side-byside relationship, first clamping means on said platform for securing the heels of said boots to said platform, second clamping means for securing the toes of said boots to said platform, a hood on said platform for covering said boots, means for selectively opening and closing said hood to permit access to said platform for mounting and demounting said boots thereon, said hood including a side portion secured to said platform and a top portion, a handle mounted on said top portion of said hood in opposition to said platform to permit said carrying case to be carried with said shoes in an upright position, ventilation means operatively associated with said case for permitting circulation of air within said hood when said hood is secured in overlying relationship relative to said platform, a compartment in said hood overlying the toes of said ski boots, and closure means on said hood for permitting selective access to said compartment.

2. A combined ski boot press and carrying case comprising a rigid platform of suflicient width to receive a pair of ski boots in side-by-side relationship, first clamping means on said platform for securing the heels of said boots to said platform, second clamping means for securing the toes of said boots to said platform, a hood for covering said boots, means for selectively opening and closing said hood to permit access to said platform for mounting and demounting said boots thereon, ventilation means operatively associated with said carrying case for permitting circulation of air within said hood, a compartment in said hood overlying the toes of ski boots mounted on said platform, and closure means on said hood for permitting selective access to said compartment.

3. A combined ski boot press and carrying case comprising a rigid platform of sufiicient width to receive a pair of ski boots in side-by-side relationship, first clamping means on said platform for securing the heels of said boots to said platform, second clamping means for securing the toes of said boots to said platform, a hood for covering said boots, fastening means for selectively opening and closing said hood to permit access to said platform for mounting and demounting said boots thereon, said hood including a side portion secured to said platform and a top portion, a handle mounted on said top portion in opposition to said platform to permit said carrying case to be carried with said shoes in an upright position and to permit said carrying case to be directly set down on the surface of said platform which is opposite to the surface on which said ski boots are mounted, a compartment in said hood overlying the top of said ski boots on said platform, and closure means on said hood for permitting selective access to said compartment.

4. A ski boot press comprising a rigid substantially planar platform of sufficient Width to receive a pair of ski boots in side-by-side relationship, first clamping means on said platform for securing first ends of the soles of said boots to said platform, second clamping means for securing the opposite ends of the soles of said boots to said platform, said second means including an elongated rigid member, a central pivot mounted on said platform and pivotally mounting said elongated rigid member substantially centrally between the ends thereof to thereby cause said elongated rigid member to have a first portion to one side of said central pivot for engaging one of said pair of boots and a second portion to the opposite side of said central pivot for engaging the other of said pair of boots, said central pivot permitting one of said portions of said elongated members to move toward one boot while permitting the other portion to move away from an adjacent boot to thereby permit a pair of boots to be mounted on said platform when each boot is of a different length, and means mounting said central pivot for permitting said elongated rigid member to move as a unit toward and away from said first clamping means to adjust said elongated rigid member for clamping various sizes of boots.

5. A ski boot press as set forth in claim 4 including a hood for covering said boots, said hood including side portions attached to said platform and a top portion, means for opening and closing said hood to permit access to said platform for mounting and demounting said boots,

' and handle means overlying said top portion to permit said press to be carried in an upright position and to permit said carrying case to be directly set down on the surface of said platform which is opposite to the surface on which said boots are mounted.

6. A ski boot press as set forth in claim 5 including ventilation means operatively associated with said press for permitting circulation of air within said hood.

7. A combined ski boot press and carrying case comprising a rigid platform of sufricient width for mounting a pair of ski boots in side-'by-side relationship, first clamping means on said platform for securing the heels of said boots to said platform, second clamping means for securing the toes of said boots to said platform, a hood for covering said boots, fastening means for detachably securing said hood in overlying relationship relative to boots on said platform, means for fixedly securing one end of said hood to a first end of said platform and means proximate a second end of said platform opposed to said first end for hanging said platform in a vertical position to thereby permit boots to be hung while in position on said platform and causing said hood to hang below said boots.

8. A combined ski boot press and carrying case comprising a rigid platform of sufiicient width to receive a pair of ski boots in side-by-side relationship, first clamping means on said platform for securing the heels of said boots to said platform, second clamping means on said platform for securing the toes of said boots to said platform, a hood attached to said platform for covering said boots, means for selectively opening and closing said hood to permit access to said platform for mounting and demounting said boots, and ventilation means operatively associated with said carrying case for permitting circulation of air within said hood.

9. A combined ski boot press and carrying case comprising a rigid platform of sufficient width to receive a pair of ski boots in side-by-side relationship, first clamping means on said platform for securing the heels of said boots to said platform, second clamping means on said platform for securing the toes of said boots to said platform, a hood attached to said platform for covering said boots, means for selectively opening and closing said hood to permit access to said platform for mounting and demounting said boots, a compartment in said hood overlying the toes of said ski boots on said platform, and closure means on said hood for permitting selective access to said compartment.

10. A combined ski boot press and carrying case comprising a rigid platform of sufficient width to receive a pair of ski boots in side-by-side relationship, first clamping means on said platform for securing the heels of said boots to said platform, second clamping means on said platform for securing the toes of said boots to said platform, a hood attached to said platform for covering said boots, means for selectively opening and closing said hood to permit access to said platform for mounting and demounting said boots, said second clamping means comprising an elongated angle member having a first leg extending substantially perpendicularly to said platform and a second leg extending substantially perpendicularly to said first leg and substantially parallel to said platform, pivot means for pivotally mounting said elongated angle member substantially centrally thereof, means on said elongated angle on opposite sides of said pivot means movable toward and away from the toes of said boots when said elongated angle member is pivoted about said pivot means to thereby engage a pair of ski boots in clamped relationship when each boot is of a different length, and slot means mounting said pivot means for permitting said angle member to move as an entirety toward and away from said first clamping means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 199,296 9/1964 Kallman.

789,782 5/ 1905 Yates. 2,698,689 1/1955 Novack 2067 X 1,098,969 6/1914 Potter 312208 1,397,583 11/1921 Huber 2296 2,106,405 1/ 1938 Havemeyer 19043 X 2,883,688 4/1959 Barreca 12--120.5 3,050,899 8/1962 Stanton et al 312-284 3,054,435 9/1962 Le Goff 52 3,126,076 3/1964 Kofiler 43 DONALD F. NORTON, Primary Examiner.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, JOSEPH R. LECLAIR,

Examiners. 

8. A COMBINED SKI BOOT PRESS AND CARRYING CASE COMPRISING A RIGID PLATFORM OF SUFFICIENT WIDTH TO RECEIVE A PAIR OF SKI BOOTS IN SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATIONSHIP, FIRST CLAMPING MEANS ON SAID PLATFORM FOR SECURING THE HEELS OF SAID BOOTS TO SAID PLATFORM, SECOND CLAMPING MEANS ON SAID PLATFORM FOR SECURING THE TOES OF SAID BOOTS TO SAID PLATFRM, A HOOD ATTACHED TO SAID PLATFORM FOR COVERING SAID BOOTS, MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY OPENING AND CLOSING SAID HOOD TO PERMIT ACCESS TO SAID PLATFORM FOR MOUNTING AND DEMOUNTING SAID BOOTS, AND VENTILATION MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CARRYING CASE FOR PERMITTING CIRCULATION OF AIR WITHIN SAID HOOD. 